We can all thank the conservatives who several years ago controlled the state legislature for the fact that Massachusetts citizens have same-sex- marriage rights.

It was the arrogance, the hubris, of conservative power players such as then–House Speaker Thomas Finneran that prevented local legislators from following Vermont’s lead in enacting humane, but still limiting, civil unions.

Historical speculation is risky business, but it is within the realm of reason to suggest that if Massachusetts had civil unions, or maybe even less comprehensive domestic partnerships, the state’s Supreme Judicial Court would not have taken the historically sweeping action it did on November 18, 2003, when it ruled that denying people of the same gender the right to marry was unconstitutional.

There was a strong backlash. Although efforts to amend the US Constitution to bar so-called gay marriage appear to be dead, 27 states have adopted similar measures.

There is, however, an important wrinkle in this picture. Despite vocal opposition to same-sex marriage in many quarters, the sentiment runs from “not opposed” to “strongly in favor” among those who are under 30. Time, in other words, is on the side of the angels.

At the moment, same-sex marriage is legal in only a handful of nations: Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Spain. Israel recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other nations, in much the same way that Rhode Island, which itself does not permit gay marriage, honors such marriages if they are performed in Massachusetts.

But marriage rights in some form — be they registered partnerships, domestic partnerships, or civil unions — are now available in 10 states (California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia) and 18 nations (Andorra, Columbia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom).

So when the right-wing nut jobs such as Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh resume raving about the Bay State’s essentially satanic lifestyle we can all safely blow them a raspberry secure in the knowledge that we’re only a little bit more broad-minded than Switzerland.

The fact of the matter is that the civilized world — defined as any place where O’Reilly and Limbaugh are recognized as loud-mouthed charlatans — appears to be slowly but surely turning what we today call marriage into something that in the future we will all recognize as civil unions.

In other words, marriage will become a purely religious union, while civil union will be what is legally binding. As more and more states and nations adopt what we today call civil unions in lieu of what we today call marriage, the easier it will be for those unions to evolve further culturally, until someday they are equivalent — legally — to marriage.

This will, of course, take years — probably decades. But while Massachusetts waits for the rest of America — and indeed the world — to catch up, we can be proud.

Saving Marriage Roth and Henning, dedicated partisans, were everywhere with their cameras in those historic years 2003–2006.

Gay marriage debate comes to Maine Even as same-sex marriage supporters across the country reel from the Election Day approval of California's Proposition 8 — which changed that state's constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman — they are optimistic about bringing gay marriage to Maine, possibly in the upcoming legislative session.

Same-sex marriage From the podium at EqualityMaine's 25th anniversary dinner last Saturday night, former state senator Ethan Strimling posed a question to the 630 people in attendance: If gay marriage were allowed in Maine, how many of you would tie the knot?

Death by handgun A couple of weeks ago, David S. Bernstein wrote about the growing "state sovereignty" movement backed by anti-government conspiracy theorists and gun-rights extremists, and touted on the syndicated radio show and Web site of deranged agitator Alex Jones.

Equal rites? New England has made a pretty good case, in recent years, for America's capital of queer.

Courthouse marriage While political analysts understandably regard elections and politicians as the key forces of social change, nongovernmental forces are the ones that most often actually influence and transform our culture.

Fighting back Thanks to a federal law that codifies discrimination against same-sex couples, more than 15,000 legally married couples (and an untold number of children) are being denied basic benefits, such as the right to file their taxes jointly, or Social Security payments and health-insurance subsidies.

California matters For four years, and 10,000 same-sex nuptials, Massachusetts has had a monopoly on gay marriage in the United States.

Marrying into history remember the day Vermont legalized Civil Unions for same-sex couples. I was in college at the time and I remember thinking out loud that I could move there and get "Civil Union-ed" someday. It didn't sound the same as my previous dreams of getting "Married."

Queer eye for the Hawkeyes This past Monday, as Iowa prepared to officially issue marriage licenses to gay applicants, both law-enforcement and state gay groups prepared for vocal, even violent opposition in America's heartland.

MERCY AND SAL DIMASI | March 13, 2013 When it comes to showing a modicum of mercy to some of those convicted of federal crimes, Barack Obama is shaping up to have the worst track record of any president in recent memory.

NEXT, MARRIAGE EQUALITY | March 05, 2013 On March 27 and 28, the US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in two cases that could essentially put America on the road to full marriage equality.

THUS SPAKE MARKEY | February 26, 2013 Last week, Congressman Ed Markey inadvertently injected some daring political thinking and a touch of historical imagination into the race to fill the US Senate seat vacated by John Kerry's appointment as secretary of state.

DRONES: 10 THOUGHTS | February 20, 2013 Foreign drone attacks are almost (but not quite yet) as American as apple pie.